


Onwards and Upwards

by Ford_Ye_Fiji



Category: Infinity Train (Cartoon)
Genre: Family Dynamics, Fluff, Gen, There is one (1) curse word, They’re friends!!, a tag to the last episode, i also ship them BUT, its gen here, its not the f word tho, just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:14:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22472431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ford_Ye_Fiji/pseuds/Ford_Ye_Fiji
Summary: After Episode Ten.What happens next?
Comments: 12
Kudos: 66





	Onwards and Upwards

**Author's Note:**

> Also I made the infinity train like Narnia, whereas time doesn’t pass the same because uhhh reasons. 
> 
> *hides behind author's note box* sorry!!!

Jesse hemmed and hawed, circling Lake carefully. Lake sighed, "Jesse, look let’s just get this over with. There’s really no way you’re hiding the fact that I’m made of chrome from everyone else."

Jesse threw his hands up, sputtering, "No! You don’t understand, I’ve seen those movies, MT- I- I mean Lake! I know how it ends." He pulled at his dark hair, "First the shady government guys get you and then they bring in scientists and then-“ he gasped, pulling at his face, "And then they _dissect_ you!”

Lake's face screwed up before, with one more look at his wide terrified eyes, she burst into laughter. Jesse frowned, almost whining, "This isn’t funny, Lake. This is _serious_."

Her laughter died down, "Oh, Jesse. They’re going to dissect me. Really? How? With _knives?_ Or- or scalpels?" She reached out and flicked his forehead, rewarded with his yelp of pain, "I’m  chrome , dummy, remember?"

Jesse sighed, rubbing his forehead, "Yeah, I do. But the Flecs, that tool he had. We've got those here too."

Lake's lips pursed, "Hmm. Okay, maybe you do have a point."

Nate raised his hand, "Um, guys?"

They both turned, Jesse automatically kneeling down to face his brother, "Yeah, buddy, what is it?" 

"Why not try telling mom and dad the truth?" 

Jesse frowned, "Naw, we couldn’t do that... C- could we?" He looked up at Lake who shrugged, "I don’t know them, you tell me." 

Jesse hummed, rubbing his chin. He looked from Lake to Nate and then he sighed, "Well. We can try it. But if that doesn’t work, we go with the backup plan." 

"Backup plan? What’s the backup plan?" 

Jesse stood, putting his hands on his hips with a confidence he wasn’t feeling, "Why we're going to lie our butts off!" 

Lake chuckled knowingly, arms folded, "Oh, of course. Is there any other way?" 

Nate frowned, "Yeah but we're going to _try_ telling the truth first, right?" 

Jesse took his hand and nodded reassuringly, "Yeah, of course,Nate. We'll tell them the truth first." 

The walk back to the house didn't take long. It certainly wasn’t too long for Lake. Everything seemed so new and different compared to the train, so beautifully... normal. Normal trees and dirt and sky and grass. The sun shining yellow overhead, birds singing quietly in the underbrush... She hadn’t thought she would miss normality after her time with Tulip. 

Maybe a little normality was good. 

Jesse pushed open the door, "Mom, Dad, I’m home!" 

His mother looked up from her seat by the worn scratched table, eyes wide, "Jesse! Jesse Cosay where have you been? I was worried sick!" She stood and walked over, taking his shoulders and examining him anxiously, "Nate came back and we had to go to the doctor! I called and called but you didn’t pick up, what on earth happened to you?" 

Jesse smiled, brows furrowing, trying to ignore the hot feeling in his eyes, and the crack in his voice, "I missed you, mom." 

"What happened? Why didn’t you answer my calls, honey?" 

Calls. His phone. Oh, man, his _phone_. Jesse laughed awkwardly, "Ah, yeah, ah about that. My phone sorta got... broke." 

"You  broke your  phone? " 

Lake held up her hand, "I’m sorry. That was my fault, Uh, Jesse's mom." 

She seemed to notice the guest for the first time, "Oh! Oh, I’m sorry, I’m Whittney Cosay, are you one of Jesse's school friends?" 

Nate shook his head, nearly vibrating with excitement, "Jesse met her on the train!" 

Jesse laughed nervously as his mother's eyes narrowed, "Ah, haha, _yeah_. Sooooooo mom. There was uh, this train. An infinite train! And it’s like a giant therapist? I guess? And oh, yeah! The Flecs! They tried to kill us, but Lake was amazing- she saved my life! And then I defeated the wind by making a map and- oh- Lake is a reflection from the mirror world! But thats something unrelated to uh, the Flecs. There was this tiny bipolar ball robot-!"

"Jesse, _stop_." Her brows furrowed, "If you don’t want to tell me what happened, thats fine. Well it’s _not_ fine but, please, don’t lie to me."

"I’m not!" Jesse knocked his hand against Lake's arm and it 'dinged' loudly, "Look, mom, she's literally made of chrome!" 

"Jesse!" She frowned, "Don't make fun of people like that!" 

Jesse spluttered indignantly and Lake burst out laughing, "I’m sorry Mrs. Cosay. Jesse's not lying though. I’ve got a uh, rare skin condition. It’s got a fancy medical term but I can’t remember that so I just tell people it’s like I’m metal." 

"Oh?" 

Lake nodded, "I’m sorry about taking up so much of Jesse's time. I’m new in town and I got really lost. Jesse really helped me out and after I accidentally broke his phone too. I’m super sorry." 

Whittney blinked, "Oh, well." She frowned at her son, "Why didn't you say so in the first place, Jesse?"

Lake blinked sweetly, somehow managing to look as innocent as a little pigtailed girl, except with a buzz cut and a rebellious streak a mile wide, "I uh, I kinda asked him not to tell. I'm not allowed out this late, which I honestly wouldn’t be if I hadn’t got so turned around." 

Jesse stared at her with astonishment, mouth falling open. 

His mom smiled, completely charmed, "Oh, of course, Lake, was it?" She straightened and Lake asked carefully, "Could I borrow your phone and call my parents? They live a ways away so I’ve got to ask them to come get me. It’s gonna be a long drive." 

Jesse smiled nervously, "Yeah. Lake's a really good friend mom. Sorry for lying." 

Whittney's brows furrowed with worry, "You’ve been gone all day. Have you had anything to eat?" 

They shook their heads. 

"Oh you poor things. Here, I was just about to start on dinner. Your poor parents must be worried out of their minds, Lake." She looked at the clock, "Oh, I don’t think it’s wise to stay out so late." 

Jesse brightened, "Could Lake stay over? Just for tonight, mom? If her parents say yes?" 

Whittney eyed them before nodding, "Of course. Though you are grounded this weekend, mister."

Jesse nodded, trying to look contrite, "Yes mom." 

She turned, “Lake, the phone is in here..." 

Lake followed her obediently. Nate huffed and Jesse shrugged apologetically, "Sorry, Nate. I really did try."  


* * *

With Nate helping Whittney make dinner in the other room, Lake held the phone to her ear and pretended to be talking to her 'parents'. Jesse smiled, whispering, "That was really smart with the whole story, Lake!"

She grinned, metallic cheeks darkening, "Thanks!"

Jesse tapped his fingers on the table, "Sooooo, how long do you have to pretend to be on the phone for?"

Lake shrugged, "I dunno. How long could it take to talk to anxious parents?"

Jesse pursed his lips, "Mmm, probably awhile. Hey, if you’re going to pretend to be someone else's kid what’s your last name? Where are you going to hang out when you’re not at my house? How are you going to get to go to school?"

"Ah, school schmool. We'll figure it out. We did pretty well out there."

Jesse folded his arms, "That was pure luck my friend." He chewed on his lower lip, "At least pick a last name. We've got to at least give you that before my mom gets suspicious."

"Hm." She smiled wryly, "Well... I could be Olsen. But I don’t know. That was Tulip's last name."

Jesse hummed, before he blinked, smile growing, "Could... could I pick your surname? I- I know when we first met you didn’t like it when I picked Alan Dracula's name and- and I can see why since you’ve been Mirror Tulip and-“

Lake snickered, "Yeah you can pick my name."

"I know it’s a- wait what?"

"I said, that you can give me a last name but not," She held up one finger, "Dracula. If it’s Dracula I will do something way worse than flick you."

Jesse nodded, vibrating with excitement, "Sure! Sure. Not Dracula."

His lips pursed, a hand rubbing his chin.

Lake smiled, putting her head in her hands as she watched him think, murmuring under his breath like he always did when he was lost in thought. A moment later his face lit up, "I’ve got it!"

Lake grinned, thrumming with happy anticipation, "What?"

"It’s a totally cool name,  way better than Dracula." He straightened, "Drumroll, please!" 

Lake snickered, obliging him as she put down the phone and pattered the table with increasing rhythm. Jesse coughed, opened his mouth, and gestured grandly, "I dub thee Lake Van Helsing!"

Lake gaped, mouth falling open.

Jesse blinked, "Uh-oh. Do you not like it? I- I can pick another one-!"

Lake's eyes widened, "Are you _kidding?_ I  _love_ it!"

"You... you do?"

"I love it! That’s such a cool name! I sound so awesome!" Lake's smile sharpened, "I sound like a badass!"

Jesse grinned, smile bright as the sun. He threw his hands up in the air, "Yes! Van Helsing for the win!" Lake thrust out one shiny metal hand, lips pulling into a cocky smirk, "Why hello, stranger, _I_ am Lake Van Helsing."

Jesse grinned, gently taking her somehow both warm and cold hand in his, "Nice to finally meet you, Lake Van Helsing."

Lake took it, shaking it firmly, mimicking the same posh accent she’d put on for the family tree, "Likewise, Jesse Cosay."

They both dissolved into giggles, hands still clasped.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact! The creator originally joked that Tulip's last name was Van Helsing!


End file.
